Dunedin

Back in 2009, Horizontal and I went to the rugby at Carisbrook in Dunedin to watch our first ever International game - All Blacks against the French. Unfortunately the All Blacks lost and there’s an extra animosity towards the French on account of The Rainbow Warrior. They do not forget - understandably - so the atmosphere was tense. I remember driving around Dunedin in the dark which is set around a lit up harbour and surrounded by twinkly lights on hillsides overlooking it. I didn’t really remember what it looked like in daylight, or the landscape around the coast very close by.

The harbour and hillside areas are pretty. The coastline is stunning.

At this point we had a domestic because we were lost and due at Pete and Jills NOW!!

We got over the domestic as the views got better and better

We finally got to Mossgiel in the very Scottish Southland and enjoyed amazing hospitality with Spooks ex boss and family, and Dave and Nicky who had come up from Invercargill. Over breakfast the next day we watched the clock tick down to Brexit. The Kiwis hadn’t being paying much attention to it until then.

And then it was a 3hour drive back to Wanaka where I was desperate for a longer catch-up with Mary. While Spook and Meg got a few things organised ahead of our last dinner together in Wanaka, I drank 2 glasses of Mary’s delicious family wine and blethered shite. I was so happy to be back in Mary’s company that I had clearly slipped into some kind of broad Scots vernacular and between her Kiwi vowel sounds and mine (and the wine?) she mostly hadn’t a clue what I was saying nor me, her. Her partner, Mick, acted as interpreter. I must have adapted my accent a little when I lived here before - or stuck to one glass of wine.

Ah - must have adjusted my accent. This photo is from a night out with Mary and Sarsha over 10 years ago and I wouldnt normally look this happy to be arrested. More than one glass of wine, clearly.